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By Maria Luisa Torres

In the final weeks of 2004, the Rev. Canon Ogé Beauvoir – a former program associate for Trinity Grants – bid a fond farewell to Trinity Church and was commissioned to missionary service in his native Haiti.

Today Father Beauvoir continues to serve as dean of the Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church of Haiti, and also finds himself witnessing history – and blossoming hope – across the small Caribbean island nation. In a recent phone interview during a February trip to Ottowa, Canada, Father Beauvoir discussed his on-going ministry in Haiti, and the growing sense of hope among its people.

The President Redux
On February 7, the people of Haiti elected Rene Preval as their new president – again. Although Preval’s past presidency (from 1996 to 2001) was generally regarded as “lackluster” according to international press accounts, Father Beauvoir described Preval as “one of the rare political leaders who is not corrupt…and the people remember that.”

“It was clear that the majority of those who voted supported Preval because he was the only candidate who managed to speak their language, who can relate to them in their struggle for a better life,” he said. “[During his campaign] he did a good job reaching out to people.”

And the people did a good job reaching out to him as well, according to Father Beauvoir, who explained that Preval originally “didn’t want to be a candidate, but the people actually went to his village and asked him to come back.”

“I believe it was a fair election with a fair outcome, and I think the majority of people are happy about the result of the election,” he said.

Preval hopes to create new jobs, increase agricultural production, and make education free for every child in Haiti. To help accomplish this, he seeks partnerships and funding to start rebuilding Haiti’s battered infrastructure, which virtually collapsed two years ago after a revolt toppled then-president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The country descended into chaos after Aristide fled into exile in South Africa following the February 2004 uprising.

A Visit from Archbishop Tutu
“Things will not be easy for Preval. I hope he will call upon the churches of all denominations to be part of the process, to work together for the well-being of the country – for jobs, for community development, for peace,” said Father Beauvoir. “We are hopeful about the future, but it’s a wait-and-see situation.

“It’s tough to be in Haiti right now,” he continued, “but I’m glad that I’ve been given the opportunity to witness this page in history and to make a small contribution,” he said.

That page in history included a visit from Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who was in Haiti for several days following the February 7 election. The Right Rev. Jean Zache Duracin, Bishop of Haiti, invited Archbishop Tutu “to come share his experiences seeking non-violent solutions to conflicts in South Africa with the Haitian people.”

“[According to Archbishop Tutu], 'If it happened in South Africa, it can happen here in Haiti,'” quoted Father Beauvoir.

The Missionary Dean
Born and raised in Haiti, Father Beauvoir participated in all aspects of church life while growing up. As a young adult he relocated to Canada, where he was ordained to the diaconate in 1989 and to the priesthood in 1990. He later served at Trinity for more than five years, working with telecommunications and the Global South through Grants.

As dean of the seminary in Haiti, Father Beauvoir oversees administration, provides educational training for priests, and conducts lay leadership training at parishes in neighboring communities.

“Part of training future leaders involves not only teaching them, but also learning from them,” he explained. “After all these years – after working with the Canadian Church, after Trinity, after my travels to Africa – I’m still learning, reflecting and growing.”

Among the many challenges of his ministry, one of the most difficult remains living apart from his wife, Serette, and daughters, Claire and Medge, who all reside in Ottowa, Canada. Though he tries to travel to Ottowa every five weeks to spend time with his family, he admits that it’s “tough to balance” his missionary work and his home life.

“I’m grateful to have a great network of support. I know that my friends at Trinity – the rector, the staff and congregation – have been praying for me and my family, and I thank you all very much,” he said. “When people pray for us we feel stronger, and we are feeling your prayers. And when I am far away in Haiti, I know that I am not alone.”